SCOTTISH pupils have been awarded a record number of Highers after sitting the new qualification for the first time this year.

Figures from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) show there were a record 156,000 Higher passes this year - up 5.5 per cent on 2014.

Almost 143,000 pupils are receiving their exam results today after the new qualifications were brought in as part of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) reforms.

Pupils were able to sit exams in existing Access, Intermediates and Highers, which were "dual-run" for 2015 alongside new qualifications.

A total of 107,295 pupils sat the new Highers with a pass rate of 79.2 per cent. A further 92,555 pupils sat the existing Highers, recording a pass rate of 76.7 per cent, slightly down on last year's 77.1 per cent.

Higher English passes were up 17.7 per cent to 27,902 and Higher modern languages passes rose by 15.2 per cent to 7,419.

Despite concerns about the new Higher Maths exam, it's clear that the system worked, that candidates have been treated fairly and standards maintained

Education Secretary Angela Constance

The pass rate for the new Maths Higher was 70.8 per cent, similar to previous years.

Advanced Higher passes have increased by four per cent to a record level of 18,899 with a pass rate of 80.9 per cent.

The SQA's chief executive and Scotland's chief examining officer, Dr Janet Brown, said: "The introduction of CfE has been one of the biggest changes to the Scottish education system for a generation.

These results show that all of the hard work has been worthwhile with significant progress being made towards full implementation of CfE and the new qualifications."